Method for Processing Sensor Data in a Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A method for processing sensor data in a motor vehicle includes (a) acquiring initial data with a first sensor of a first sensor type, (b) acquiring second data with a second sensor of a second sensor type, (c) extrapolating the first data acquired in accordance with step (a) and/or the second data acquired in accordance with step (b) to produce extrapolated data that allows the first data to be compared with the second data, and (d) performing joint processing of the first data and/or the second data with extrapolated data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing sensor data in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 (a) acquiring initial data with a first sensor of a first sensor type;   (b) acquiring second data with a second sensor of a second sensor type;   (c) extrapolating the first data acquired in accordance with step (a) and/or the second data acquired in accordance with step (b) to produce extrapolated data that allows the first data to be compared with the second data; and   (d) performing joint processing of the first data and/or the second data with extrapolated data.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first sensor used in step (a) and the second sensor used in step (b) are each one of the types of sensors included in the following list:
 LIDAR;   RADAR;   front camera;   infrared camera;   ultrasonic sensor; or   interior camera.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extrapolating in step (c) comprises at least one of the following substeps:
 (i) ascertaining at least one scaling factor for scaling the second data and the first data in relation to each other;   (ii) ascertaining a displacement factor that describes the displacement of the second data and the first data in relation to each other; and   (iii) applying at least one scaling factor and/or at least one displacement factor to the first data and/or the second data to create extrapolated data.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extrapolation in step (c) is performed with the aid of map data. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extrapolation in step (c) comprises a temporal extrapolation that takes into account a temporal displacement in the occurrence of certain structures in the first data and the second data. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extrapolation in step (c) comprises a spatial extrapolation in which a spatial displacement of the occurrence of certain structures in the first data and the second data is taken into account. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein structures recognized in the first data and/or second data along a stretch covered by the motor vehicle are assigned to a waypoint on the stretch, and structures recognized in both the first data and the second data are assigned to one another in step (c). 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data processing in step (d) comprises checking the first data and/or the second data for errors. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data processing in step (d) comprises a recognition of properties of structures in the vicinity of the motor vehicle which are recognized by different sensor properties of the first sensor type and the second sensor type. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the data processing in step (d) comprises ascertaining the fields of view for GNSS satellite signals. 
     
     
         11 . A data processing device for a motor vehicle, comprising a processor configured to execute the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the computer program product is executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute the method according to  claim 1 .